Olympic Games | Exploring the World of Sports

Olympics – Competition At The Ultimate Level

Olympics is the penultimate event that every sportsman looks to perform, compete and win. It is the dream of every sportsperson to perform in the world arena and showcase the hard work which has been put in for the last few years.

Olympics is one such event in which athletes from every nook and corner of the world come to perform. There are certain country names which we see for the first time in our lives. This shows the depth of the Olympic spirit and the urge for everyone to participate and come out victorious.

Every athlete eagerly waits for this event as this happens only once in four years. Though during the early times, the games had to be cancelled a few times owing to war but during the last few decades, it has been a standard affair. And with such a mega event happening, there happens to be many a controversies like the racial discrimination during Jesse Owens race event and the famous throwing of the gold medal by Mohammad Ali.

This event took a major beating when terrorists tried to disturb the hosting of Olympics in Munich. But the final word is that despite all these hurdles, it was the spirit of the game which won. And even to this day the Olympics is being respected. With the passing of time many a games are being added depending on the recommendations and acceptability of the participating fellow nations. Hosting the games itself is considered to be a very prestigious thing.

Every nation which wished to host the Olympics had to bid and had to win by a majority in order to host the event.

Filed Under: Olympics, Sports Tagged With: Olympic, Olympic Games, sport

The History of Olympics

If you are a fan of sports activities and love to be a part of it even as a spectator or a connoisseur, then it is quite likely that you will be a big fan of the Olympics. Without doubt, Olympics are the biggest sporting spectacle to be held on the face of earth and it is one great activity which every sports lover looks forward to. So how did Olympics start and what were the reasons for it becoming so popular and being able to survive the test of time?

It would be indeed mind boggling to know that the first Olympic game was held some 3000 years ago, sometime during 776 B.C. From then one it has traveled many a mile, has faced the challenges of war and other obstacles but has grown to what it is today. It would be indeed very interesting to know that the first few Olympics, in fact 13 of them, had only one event featuring and that event was the sprint, which was run for a distance of 108 meters. Gradually over a period of time, other sporting events starting getting added to it and some of them were Pentathlon, discuss throw, javelin throw, etc. Wrestling also started finding a place in the latter games.

Over the years it has grown to be a movement and today it is a sporting extravaganza that brings together people from all over the world under one umbrella and it is a big ambassador in promoting peace and brotherhood amongst nations. Though there is intense competition amongst the participating nations and athletes, the motto is still guided by participation rather than winning. However, there have instances where not-so-fair means have been adopted by some athletes and the most infamous of them being the Ben Johnson saga. The scourge of doping is indeed a problem but that has never shadowed the overall spirit and goodwill which governs the Olympic movement. Surely, Olympics will be talked about even after another 3000 years. Everyone just loves Olympics.

Filed Under: Atheletics, Olympics Tagged With: Ben Johnson, Olympic Games, sport

Olympics: The greatest sporting spectacle on Earth

The Olympics is the ultimate arena for many people who are involved in sports. This is a stage in which the whole world is watching and the people who take part in the games are those who are the best. The spirit of the Olympic games may talk about the importance of participation, but the intense competition between the athletes who participate in the various sports talks of the importance that the sports event.

There are various kinds of events that are held as part of the Olympics and the people who participate have reached there after beating many more in smaller events. The sportsperson who wins the Gold medal in the Olympics is considered to be the best in the sport.

There are various sports that are part of the Olympic Games. Some of these games are deleted in some years, but more are added too. Other than the individual glory that each person may corner after winning the gold medal, the pride of many nations are at stake in this event.

Each and every country sends the best possible contingent to the Olympic Games for the sportspersons to participate. The track and field events are the ones that make the world watch with awe when individuals sprint and jump to corner glory. Heroes are made in seconds in the Olympic Games in these events. These events show the determination and the awesome grit from the people who participate. Each of the participants goes to the extremes of their strength to be able to achieve a win in these competitions. A gold medal in the Olympics cannot be compared to any other achievement for many athletes.

Though there are many other similar sports events, the Olympics cannot be equaled in terms of the number of people who participate. Athletes who participate here and win are given a rousing reception back in their homes too.

Filed Under: Games, Olympics, Sports Tagged With: Gold medal, Olympic Games, sport

The success of a sports event

The recently concluded commonwealth games are a testament to the spirit of sports events. The commonwealth is one of the greatest sporting events other than the Olympics. There were 71 nations participating in the event, though this number may vary from year to year depending on various circumstances.

The success of the event depends on various issues. The most important factor that determines the success is the fact that the games had athletes competing with each other at their best. There are many mediocre performances, but the best ones are those that are completed by the athletes, with all their heart and mind. The performance of the athletes is remembered for a long time by the people who watch the event.

Another important factor that determines if the sports event was a successful one depends on whether the event went on smoothly without any incidence of doping or substance abuse by the participants. This has become a serious issue these days with many people getting caught in major events. The sports event that has no incidence of such problems will surely be considered to be the best event ever.

There are also other factors like the spectator involvement and other factors that play a role in the success of the sports event. The Commonwealth games seemed to have heralded a new chapter in the sports history of various countries. Though many of the powerhouses of sports events including United States, China and Russia did not participate because of the fact that they are not part of the commonwealth countries, the Olympic Games are just around the corner. It will surely be another great sports event to remember for a long time to come! The media also plays a major role in the success of the event as they are the ones who bring the event home to millions of viewers all over the world.

Filed Under: Olympics, Sports Tagged With: Commonwealth Games, Olympic Games, sport

Evolution of the Olympic Games

: Image via Wikipedia

In the first Olympics, young male athletes from Ancient Greece came together to challenge one another in a “stade” or short sprint across the stadium. Throughout the early years of the games, other events were added. Boxing, chariot racing, long jump, and the javelin and discus throw all made their way into the arena.

According to Wikipedia, “The athletes usually competed naked, not only as the weather was appropriate, but also as the festival was meant to celebrate, in part, the achievements of the human body.”

Boy oh boy, have the Olympics come a long way. Not only in sporting events, but uniforms as well.

Over the years there have been events added and removed from the Olympic program. The International Olympic Committee has an Executive Committee who votes on which events make it into a program and which sports are removed. Decisions are based on whether or not an event is practiced around the world and how many countries are able to participate.

Did you know that floorball, lifesaving, tug of war, and wushu are all games that are recognized by the IOC? “Floorball, hmm,” you may scratch your head and wonder, “what exactly is floorball?” It’s a type of indoor hockey developed in the 1970’s. It is mainly played in European countries as a year round sport.

Softball and baseball have officially made their way off of the Olympic program. Coming from the American Continents that may flabbergast you. How could a defining American sport be removed from the Olympic program? That’s just it. It’s an American sport that is not played universally across the globe. That’s not to say that it won’t make a return in future games. There just needs to be more countries willing to play ball.

What is interesting is that as of late, golf and rugby have made it back onto the Olympic program, and you will be seeing these athletes perform in future Olympic games.

What can you make of this? That evolution is absolute. Even as the world around us continues to evolve, so do the Olympic games.

Filed Under: Athletics, General, Olympics, Sports Tagged With: Ancient Greece, Events, International Olympic Committee, Olympic Games, Olympic sports, Olympics, sport

Ancient Olympic History

: Image via Wikipedia

While the precise origins of the Olympic Games will never be known, it appears they began in Olympia, Greece in 776 BC. The games lasted until 393 AD when they were halted because of religious reasons.

The games were as much a religious and cultural happening as they were sports. In fact, they began as a tribute to the Greek god Zeus. The games were generally held every four years, and were also used to spread the Greek culture throughout the Mediterranean area. The location of the games didn’t rotate as it does today. It remained in Olympia.

Structure of the Games

Initially, only free men who spoke the Greek language could participate in the games. Armed with this qualification, the athletes had to take an oath while standing before a statue of Zeus. In the oath, the participant stated that they had been in training for the competition for at least ten months.

The games began as a one day event but eventually expanded to a five day extravaganza. The winners were crowned with an olive wreath and their feats were celebrated throughout the area.

Olympic Game Events

The games in the ancient Olympic Games were races. In the beginning there was just one race measuring between 196 and 263 yards. In 724 BC, another race called the diaulos was introduced. This was a single lap of the stadium or about 437 yards. In 720 BC, still another race called the dolichos got added. The length of this race was about three miles. The route wound its way through the Olympic grounds but started and finished at the main stadium.

Boxing, wrestling and chariot racing were added along the way. A pentathlon which combined the long jump, javelin throw and discus throw, was also eventually added to the list of games.

A particularly brutal spectacle, boxing had no rest periods. Nor, did it have any rules against striking a man when he was down. Matches continued until a participant either surrendered or died. However, if a person died, he automatically became the winner!

Filed Under: Games, General, Sports Tagged With: Ancient Greece, Ancient Olympic Games, Olympic Games